


Children of Fire

by northernhymn



Category: Naruto
Genre: I promise, M/M, On Hiatus, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychological Trauma, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, because we all know hes just a ball of anxiety and issues deep down, kakashi being his inner angsty teen self, naruto being a precious little ray of sunshine, not forever though, sakura is so done with everything, slightly more realistic shinobi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-08
Updated: 2018-10-23
Packaged: 2019-06-07 10:47:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15217508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/northernhymn/pseuds/northernhymn
Summary: !CURRENTLY ON HIATUS!(Not forever tho, i promise ;-;)The Will of Fire; a piece each of the burning embers every individual shinobi of Konohagakure finds for themselves; like a seed sprouting and spreading its roots. Because the power to protect your own life and every single thing within it is something we all desire.Somehow, with that in mind, standing on what remains of the Hokage Monument with Naruto's hand clasped firmly in her own, looking down at the still smoking rubble where her village was razed to the ground-..Well, somehow Sakura doesn'tquitethink this is what those old geezers had in mind.Her lost world will be once more, and it will be great. Even if Sakura very well has to drag it from the bottom and up with her owndamnedhands.





	1. Prologue - A Broken World

**Author's Note:**

> Song this chapter inspired: Land of Confusion - by Hidden Citizens
> 
> so, i'm new to this and wow just looking at every page i have to fill in in order for this fanfic to make any sort of sense is making my eyes cross.
> 
> But, officially, then. Hi! :D  
> This will not be my first fanfiction written, but it will be the first one I ever publish on this site, and I'm so so so so nervous..
> 
> Enjoy! :3

Dirt and rocks crunch under soled boots, a silent echo sounding in a war-torn world, much like a bird in the rays of the early morning. But over these lands the flapping of tiny wings sounds no more, the forests once green struck with a pale ashen glow, and drying patches of blood as far as eyes can reach.

A single figure stands, dark fabric covering them and dragging across the earth.  
A flutter of sooty lashes, and a dull gaze peers out from under lids heavy with exhaustion, a feminine hand lifting through tremors to shield from the first glitters of the sun sinking in the ashen horizon.

Light breathing like a wind, alone among remains of comrades long fallen, only charred bones left to serve as bitter memories of soldiers, and their lives lost in vain in the last hours of one, final war.  
They were the shinobi forces that once were.

"Is there _anyone_ still alive?"

The faint breeze carries the whispered words, barely audible over the sounds of grey skies weeping in loss.

A woman, bloodied and tired, is revealed beneath the dark robes hanging over her shaking frame. Matted pink strands - a shade that once shone so bright - singed at the ear and falling limply over dirtied cheekbones, casting shadow to a pair of dulled green eyes. Pale skin, and sleek muscles too used to fighting battles, a time long passed, when the nights riddled with fear would pass and the day would come.

Indeed, times long gone they are. Now the sun can no longer hide the darkness creeping in from shadowed corners, nor the evil in people's hearts.

But those people are gone, they too.

She is the last one standing here, the only heart left beating for miles on end over the desemated land.  
The burning trees, still aglow with the faint embers of fires long put out by falling rain, are all that are left standing. They are all that remain of what once were the lush forests surrounding the Village of Konohagakure.  
And the very village once known as a beacon of hope is but a memory, razed to the ground by lethal jutsu cast in one last desperate attempt to ward off the enemy forces.

And, underneath the rubble of fallen buildings lay the bodies of those left behind who could not escape in time.

  
...

  
She moves forward, balancing with only an uneasy wobble every few steps now, looks out at her home. Or, what is left of it.

Her bruised legs carry her in a slow trek, stopping every time her eyes catch sight of a dead comrade, only to carry on with a feeling of helplessness growing in the pit of her stomach at every life she was unable to save.  
There is _nothing_ she can do, and her hands trained to heal, burned by fires and smudged in water-soaked dirt, clench at her sides as the realization dawns more and more.  
Her sore feet push her forward, but stop on their own accord, and she can barely breathe. Something resembling a voice echoes, and her head snaps up, dirty strands of hair catching in her field of vision.  
At first she is convinced her mind is merely playing a cruel trick, but she hears it again.  
And this time, she really, _truly_ hears it.

_"Sakura-chan!"_

A gasp escapes her, and then she is running, moving on unsteady legs driven by the sheer force of desperation in the direction of the shout, paying no mind to the many cracked ribs and the wounds clogged with blood on her body screaming at the movement, dodging bodies and fallen rocks in her way. She watches the dot in the distance grow until she can make out his blonde hair, the whiskered cheeks she loves so very much dimpled in a smile of relief.  
He is limping towards her, wounded, but alive. He is _alive._

Her hands outstretched, Sakura finally reaches him, feels arms catch her in a crushing grip and lift her off the ground into a familiar chest. Cracked lips quiver, and his matted green vest swallows up the first sob of many more to come.  
"I thought I lost you too." He rasps, his voice catching in his throat, and the I would have been alone hangs in the air around them like dust particles, and she can only hug him tighter. The small fraction of her worn heart that wants to look him in the eyes again wins over her body, however, and she tilts her head up ever so slightly.

Familiar, so very familiar, cerulean orbs stare into her apple greens, and her lips lift in a smile.  
"Naruto.."

He grins, and Sakura pays no mind to the dried blood and scratches, because, he really is here. She tightens her arms around him again at the thought, too scared that if she lets go, he actually will disappear.  
"S'kura-chan, you're crushing me..."  
Despite the words, Sakura can hear the happiness in his voice and that is enough for her to let out a broken, desperate laugh.

Sakura then realizes that laughing as you stand surrounded by the mangled bodies of fallen friends is probably a good first sign of serious mental trauma, but she doesn't even care.

Naruto. Naruto, her best friend, her goofy, silly friend and her rock in a dark sea, is here with her.  
She's not alone anymore.

With the more than a little reassuring thought acting as her anchor, she lets her arms fall and steps back to look around again.  
"Naruto, where to now? Konoha is gone..."

  
Naruto doesn't answer, but someone else does.

  
**'This world is no more, I am afraid, little lion.'** The voice rumbles, and Sakura feels the deep, timbre tenor in the air and all around her, lifting particles in the air and reaching all the way into her bones.

Her cheeks ache with the force of a sudden grin, and Sakura couldn't stop it for the world.

  
_"Grumper_ , you're still here!" She laughs, because suddenly this world doesn't feel so doomed anymore, and Sakura giggles just a bit more when the fox growls, takes in his overwhelming presence just to feel the complete lack of bite in his irritation.  
"Ne, Sakura-chan," the blonde begins, and somehow Sakura feels entirely justified at the way her grin drops when his smile grows just a little bit sadder, bitter at something she isn't sure she wants to know.  
Taking her silence as the answer it is, he continues with a sigh, raking a too-steady hand through shaggy light strands.

  
"Kurama has a way for us to fix this."  
The twinge in her sore leg when she kicks him in the shin is entirely worth it, and his indignant yelp of pain echoes with her shriek of, "Tell me that sooner, _idiot!_ "

  
..

  
Naruto leads her by the hand, through territory she doesn't know - but that could be because any landmark she could have recognized is crumbled into nothingness - and further until they reach a small cave entrance, safely hidden behind a waterfall.

When they step across the rocky ground, Sakura marvels at the sheer _size_ of the cave system, the uneven walls breaking into multiple tunnels leading further underground.  
They pause at the smallest of the tunnels, and with a glance back in her direction, Naruto tugs her down a set of stairs, to Sakura's growing confusion.

The room they reach is huge, is her first thought, and then, _what the hell are those inscriptions on the ground_?. Sure enough, from one wall to the other, the floor is covered in intricate markings, swirling into some sort of spiraling symbol that leads all the way to the room's mid. Sakura looks down, and realizes she is _standing_ on part of it, as well.

"Naruto, what _is_ all this?" She gets out, at last, in a breathy voice, and hears a small chuckle from the blond sitting in a crouch, blue gaze directed straight at the center.

What nothing can prepare her for is his next words, spoken so quitely she nearly misses them, despite every tenor ringing clear in the silence.

"Kurama and I have been working on it for the last year, since the war got worse," a pause, and then, "it's a seal to take a person's soul back in time."

  
Sakura chokes on her next breath, nearly stumbles and falls face-first in a very unladylike manner before she regains her balance and shoots Naruto a _disbelieving_ stare.  
He stares right back, and that feeling she had before comes back in urgent waves when she sees no signs of deceit on his face.

Just determination, _sheer_ determination, and Sakura suddenly feels terrified in the face of what he might say, or _do_ , for that matter. She trusts Naruto, she really does, with her life and anyone else's, but that glint in his eyes does not bode good for her.

"Sakura-chan, we're going to send you back to the day Team Seven is formed."  
_Smack!_

Naruto reels back, hand touching the bright red welt forming on his right cheek, eyes staring right into tearing ones. Sakura lets her raised hand fall limply to her side, because _what?  
no, nononono-_

"Naruto, what the _fuck_ , _I can't_. I-" A warm, and despite herself a comforting, hand cups her cheek, calloused thumb swiping away a stray tear rolling down her faintly freckled skin. Naruto smiles at her, so sad and so very kind, the fucking _goofball_ , that she can't even think.  
Flings herself down at the idiot instead, and clutches at his shoulders and buries her face in by his collarbone, breathing in the familiar scent of sunshine, because _what the fuck no because she knew the words were coming and knows she might very well be their only way_ -

Naruto brings his arms up around her in response, body relaxing and easing out of a rigidness born with years of war and desolation.

"We don't have a choice, Sakura-chan. Everyone's _gone, Baa-chan, the teme, and Kakashi.._ Kurama and I are the _only_ ones with enough chakra to trigger the seal."

A sigh fills the air in the cavern, and Kurama speaks up again.  
**'The brat is right, little lion. The Elemental Nations will perish, and everything will be gone forever. You are this world's only hope now.'**

Sakura nearly screams, sobs instead and it _tears_ out of her, because she _can't_ dwell on it, because he's _right._ They're both right, and she _can't_ -  _This will kill him, she just knows it. Naruto will sacrifice himself._ Oh my _god_.  
Naruto strokes her hair softly, murmurs things like _you can do this_ and _i love you so much_ , and Sakura lets herself have this, this _one_ moment she allows her tears to fall, because she _never_ let herself cry even when their family disappeared one by one, because she _knew_ she wouldn't have been able to carry on if she did. And because Naruto _catches_ her when she falls apart.

He _always_ did, ever since they were _young_ and _naive_ and everything in between, and not for the first time and never the last, Sakura thinks of _all_ he deserves and how little of it he got. Naruto, who built himself up, block by block and everytime _again_ when he would be pushed back down, and became their savior. Their _hope._

..

  
Naruto _trusts_ her; is putting his last bit of faith in _her_ ability to stop their world's rapidly approaching end.

And something forms in her heart, a fiery seed of determined hope of her own that settles, _spreads _and curls around her bones and _everything___ she is; she has to do this.  
So, Sakura grabs ahold of his cheeks, squishes them just _because_ , and ignoring his affronted mumble, leans up and presses their foreheads together, dulled hitaite clanking proudly, metal on metal and a sound rings through the air. Blue and green clash, sky and earth meeting halfway and creating a balance, and despite their years together Sakura has never fully understood her connection with this man.

She clings to it, though, holds on to it's the last intact piece of her sanity.  
And considering it all, it just might be.

  
And so, while her tears never once stop flowing, Sakura grins faintly, leans back and settles in the inner circle of the seal, and looks at her best friend in the entire world.  
He comes to a crouch in front of her eyes, smiles like he is truly _proud_ of her in spite of the sadness, and she leans up _just this one final time,_ presses a kiss to his nose, and then the air around her _lights up_.

Sakura numbly registers pain and screaming, and it takes too long to realize it's coming from _her_ , tearing from her lungs as her chakra pathways go haywire at the sheer overexposure from Kurama and Naruto both.

 

It's through the haze and the acidic pain coursing through her body, soaking every last cell in its intensity, that she tries to smile, tries to cling onto the last pieces of this man and everything that he will leave behind. _I love you, Naruto._

 _I have to try. l just have to._  
..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> •update•  
> Went back and fixed the horrible format, finding a yet a few more mistakes, and changing up a few things to better match what I have in mind.  
> Continuation soon!  
> •
> 
> And we are off, following Sakura's journey through a previously lost world in an attempt to prevent danger approaching from shadowed corners.
> 
> As for pairings, I'm not sure yet. I love Sakura as a character, frustrating as she was in the first arcs, but she never got the development she deserved until much, much later so I'm really pulling my hair trying to figure out where to go from here.
> 
> •N


	2. To My Dearest Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> everything kicks off

_"I love you forever, Sakura-chan. You can do this."_

She wakes choking on her pained screams, eyes snapping open and body jolting from an uneasy rest within moments, from flashing pictures of memories of a sun-brightened smile blurred at the edges, and into clarity.

Her frantic green eyes follow the contours of a darkened room, snapping from the light streaming in from between closed curtains and to a brightly colored wardrobe, and Sakura realizes with a ragged breath that trembles out of her that it's _pink_. Pink as her hair, and a piece of furniture that she practically _begged_ her mother for as an early birthday gift.

Her twelfth birthday, Sakura realizes with a start, March 28th; and how long has it truly been since she hadn't celebrated it out on the battle-torn fields where her friends were lost to the world?

_'Wait, what..?'_

Sakura feels dull, and the first thought that runs through her mind surprises her when the name _Naruto_ registers.

' _Naruto_? ...Why _Naruto_?'

Looking down at a clenched fist resting tensely on soft bedsheets, so much smaller than she can recall and one too fragile in comparison to when she lets the ground crumble beneath her power; Sakura doesn't know if maybe she's going insane, or if she's actually still asleep. This newly awoken part of her; this _awareness_ of everything within distance and the ninja she can sense only a few rooftops away, Sakura doesn't know how to deal with because if this really is reality there are two of her in one body, two thoughts trying to push to the surface at once with entirely different origins.

She feels the barely-there taste of salty tears when she wets a chapped bottom lip, realizes she's _still_ crying, if faintly, and idly reaches out a trembling hand to feel strands of pink. Long silken strands that reach around her fingers as green eyes peer in wonder and disbelief, tangle together until Sakura finally lets her hand fall back down; it lays on soft sheets, unmoving.

A thought sparks somewhere deep in her head, among the jumble of memories, old and new, that spin around her head until she feels nauseous, and, testing her unsteady legs, once she dares to fling the covers off, she pads silently across her cold hardwood floor, before- Sakura is _shaking_ , body vibrating with the force of terror when her hand - the hand of a _child_ , something yells inside her head- raises to trace what little of a child's face she can actually see in the dark, reflected in the mirror, and _no_ \- _Naruto. Kakashi!_ -

Everything slams back into her head like a hurricane. _I went through a ritual_ , Sakura manages to herself through the sobs muffled by her hand, and she sinks to the floor, legs like jelly.

_Naruto died so you could be sent back in time to fix everything._

It all trickles back, an inferno and pictures blurring before her eyes to create the shape of a man, black eyes bloodshot and mouth pulled back in a manic grin, the very _personification_ of insanity-

" _Madara_ ", Sakura mumbles faintly, and the name follows her into the plunging darkness.

..

When Sakura comes to a second time, she finds herself laying on the floor, shivering, her thoughts not quite as jambled, more organized, and this time it's actually _her_. Not the young Sakura, snotty and anxious, who inhabited this body when she fell asleep, but the _real_ her, scarred and everything in between. 

It almost feels like a comfort.

The urge to let through the waterworks is there, but she pushes it away for now, to a deep-dark-hidden part of her heart where most memories of her now previous life lay, locked away from sight. Right now, she has to make it through the day without collapsing in frantic tears.

Sorting through her memories and listing the names of friends she _can no longer_ turn to for support, it won't help her now.

With that in mind, Sakura takes a breath and stares into the mirror, straight at it and in the morning light, she sees herself, fully and _wholly_.

Skinny legs, arms like sticks - _Gotta work on that_ , she reflects grimly - and lastly, a rounded face with the retained innocence of childhood still present, green eyes almost too big for the unmarked forehead she hasn't quite grown into, and a pink mouth, jaw hanging open as Sakura takes in the reflection of her old self. And with that, Sakura realizes something with a grimace.

 _I look horrible_. Indeed, her eyes are red, under-eyes swollen from crying, and there are remains of tear tracks running down her normally pasty cheeks. She truly _looks_ like a child, like this, and Sakura feels her stomach churn worriedly. The bags under her eyes don't look too bad when she doesn't hang her head, so Sakura muses quietly that, indeed, it could be worse.

Much, _much_ worse.

'I'm really here', she realizes then, and only when she feels somewhat confident the tears won't start running again does she rise from the floor. Wincing and wrinkling her nose equally at her available choice of wardrobe when she creaks open a closet door, Sakura finally pulls on a pair of black standard leggings and her favourite red tank top; an old, worn piece that despite her mother's nagging, Sakura never threw out. Now, seventeen years back, Sakura's glad she's always been too stubborn for her own good.

Then she realizes something, and sure enough, when she focuses her senses, something that takes way too much effort for her comfort, the two unmistakable signatures of her parents are right there, in the kitchen. Sakura nearly cries again, has to breathe through the excercise Tsunade once taught her for preventing panic attacks before she's brave enough to walk down the brown polished staircase and peek into the kitchen-

If a tear drips down her cheek, Sakura doesn't feel like dwelling on it.

Haruno Mebuki is a familiar sight, dressed in the white qipao Sakura always envied as a little girl, and her dark blonde brushed back in the usual manner. She looks like she always did, standing over the stove and her back to the table, even before she died, and Sakura has never been more caught between grief and joy in her life. Her father is lounging at the table, newspaper up and covering everything but his crinkled eyes, kimono shirt hanging a little rumpled off his slouched figure but on nonetheless.

Being exasperated at her father's utter lack of etiquette has never felt fonder. A stupid jounin comes to mind, orange book up like a shield and cackling grin safely hidden behind a black mask. Sakura pushes the thought away, steels herself with a drawn breath and a hopefully discreet hand held over her racing heart, and walks in.

Kizashi looks up when he hears her approaching footsteps, cheeks spreading in a smile that drops when he takes in her puffy red face, and the newspaper is laid down on the table, forgotten.

"Sakura? What's wrong?" And everything she told herself is flung straight out the window; she throws herself into her father's arms, tears streaming down her face as she babbles out jumbled words of 'you were dead' and 'I don't want to be alone dad'. Her father hugs her, comforts her and whispers words of reasurrance, tells her that, "It was just a bad dream, you're safe now," much like he used to when she was smaller.

Mebuki looks on from her perch at the stove, a small, fond if faintly melancholy smile curling her red-painted lips upward safely hidden from sight. Maybe, just for this minute, Sakura can take his words to heart and pretend it really is all just a big, scary nightmare.

If only she wasn't such a shitty liar.

..

Breakfast is a shaky affair, courtesy of both Sakura's lungs forgetting how to pull in air every time her father smiles at her, and the other..

Well, blame the jounin giggling like crazy old men on the rooftop just outside their kitchen window. A street race never ends well with half-crazy ninja in the competition, Sakura recalls on her way out the door, and she has to muffle a crazed giggle with her hand. They all have some screws loose, she thinks to herself as she walks down the street, and she loves them all the more for it; Kakashi with his horrendous excuses and Sai with his unparalelled social unawareness and tendency for horrible and almost always insulting jokes.

She loves them unconditionally, utterly and completely and will continue to do so until her very last breath is drawn, and it is with that thought in mind that Sakura steels her overworked mind, pushes open the large doors, and walks through the entrance to the Academy.

..

Immediately, she has to duck to avoid the sloppy kunai flying through the air at mediocre speed, and grins when Iruka's somewhat desperate voice yells through an open door to _please stop throwing kunai for god's sake Inari you're going to hurt yourself._

Sakura _really_ missed this, yelling, obnoxious academy kids or not.

And then, in her peripheral vision there's a flash of platinum blonde, and her heart plunges all the way to her _stomach_ because all she can see is _torn flesh_  under shaking green-glowing hands and _bloodied strands of golden hair-_

"Hey, _Forehead Girl_! Are you even _listening_ to me?!" Snapping to attention, Sakura nearly draws kunai she doesn't _have_ strapped to a thigh pouch she _hasn't_ bought yet- but a hand is waving in her face, nearly too close, though Sakura's attention is caught on the baby blue orbs narrowed in irritation behind a fringe of luminous strands.

Ino huffs when Sakura doesn't respond, straightening her back and flipping her high ponytail haughtily, pursing her lips down at the frozen girl. Sakura's brain is _stalling_ , and people are starting to stare but _Ino is right there not dead not torn to pieces-_ Only her shinobi instincts pick up Iruka's approaching signature, chakra rolling in like a calm, steady wave and then there are hands on her shoulders, and her academy teacher leads her away from a gathering crowd and _wow is that Ami_? and Sakura decides through her inner chaos - she's _never_  appreciated this man more.

Iruka steadies her when her legs threaten to give out, walks with her to the teacher's room and shuts the door behind him. The man helps her sit down when she just stares blankly at the chipping wall of painted beige, and Sakura's head falls back against the cushion on the couch, breaths coming raggedly. But, she's able to focus back on reality, slowly, and realises Iruka is sitting next to her on the cushioned sofa.

Scarred features twisted in worry, he pats a comforting hand down her back and she smiles, though it probably ends up closer to a grimace, and sighs into the oppressing silence. " _I_ -I'm sorry, Iruka-sensei," Sakura mumbles, and gets a huffed breath of laughter in response. "Don't apologize, Sakura. Panic attacks are nothing we can stop, only learn to handle with time."

His eyes cast an assessing glance over her, and when he decides she seems okay enough, Iruka settles back against the armrest, waiting. Sakura swallows against her suddenly dry throat, wonders how she can conjure up a _somewhat_ believable reason for a sudden breakdown without giving away anything too suspicious.

"I've been sleeping badly, having nightmares, _and_ \- I don't really _know_ ," Sakura blurts out, curses inwardly at her lame finish, and, despite the woman in her huffing at the blatant display of downright _childish_ behaviour, she curls in on herself on the small couch, hair falling over her scrawny knees and arms tightening until she's only a small ball of pent-up worry and anxiety. She isn't sure Iruka will buy the lie, but focusing her attention on the calmly ticking clock, the twinges of pain in her stomach ease until she can relax her muscles, and Sakura breathes out a small, quiet sigh of relief.

At least if people notice her behaviour, the excuse _unstable teenager_ seems to fit her just fine. 'God damn it, what am I _doing_? I'm supposed to be _saving the world_ , and here I am, _apprentice_ of the _Godaime_ , sitting around like a sad little _child_.'

Iruka doesn't say anything for a while, and when she peeks up through her rosy bangs at the rustle of paper to see the man sitting there, pen in hand and expression fond, if focused, Sakura decides this man is currently her favorite person in the world.

Next to Naruto. The exuberant blond comes to mind, grinning from ear to ear and clad in that horrible and adorable orange jumpsuit; the thought calms her down. And, so, Sakura sits there balled up on the couch, with the calming presence of another human a meter away when Sakura feels as if she's been alone for so long, until the first bell rings to signal the start of her last class.

..

Iruka's presence as they walk together in the direction of the bustling classroom doesn't feel suffocating, but instead Sakura feels it nagging at the back of her mind, filling her with a new sort of determination, and the feeling is faint but Sakura will hold onto it with her _teeth_ if she so has to.

This is what I lost last time. I will _not_ lose it again.

And so, when she walks in and all eyes fly to her, Sakura ignores the familiar urge to lower her head and stands tall, trudging up the low steps and making for the empty row of seats all the way at the back. It's difficult to keep the burning of her eyes at bay when Ino actually looks up and _smiles_ at her, _barely_ there and laced with uncertainty but Sakura'll take it any day. Her lips curl in response, and the way Ino brightens _visibly_ at that simple gesture really makes Sakura think, and she settles into her seat and promptly tunes out Iruka's lecturing.

As much as their rivalry resulted in the strong bond they shared until Ino's end, Sakura doesn't need it this time over, because Ino is _here_ , _alive_ , and she will never understand the Sakura she is now, can _never_ comprehend the things Sakura has seen and lived to know - she will _never have to_ , not this time around, if Sakura has any say, but..

Sakura _loves_ Ino, and reforming the fragile friendship they let crumble in the first days when they started attending the Academy can be a good first step in a right direction, but maybe it's not the _only_ way.

It's one of _many_ right directions, because Sakura is armed with _seventeen years_ of knowledge of what can happen in a possible future, but even so she has no choice but to prioritize. Orochimaru is a chess piece on her board that _has got to go_ , and the way Sakura's clenched fists _itch_ , the surge of adrenaline that hits her when she thinks of wrapping her hands around the snake's neck and ending his horrid, _horrid_ existence, well, it proves that she has a lot of work to do, build up her chakra levels, get strong enough to meet threats head-on.

So, _either_ Ino gets over her petty arrogance and haughty attitude, with a push in the right way from Sakura, or.. Their friendship, _rocky_ at best, may have to be sacrificed, should it come to that. And the way Sakura can actually consider that, _seriously_ let the thought of _leaving Ino behind_ spin in her head among other possibilities; it proves to her a hundred times over, that she is _far_ from a child, and, the world is depending on her. She is their only hope, and will pull strings from shadowed corners when possible and change the course of things in public sight if neccessary. When it is.

'I have to start _somewhere_ , though.' Sakura muses, and-

"Team seven will consist of Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke! Your jounin sensei will be Hatake Kakashi!"

Sakura very nearly _whacks_ her head straight into her desk in surprise when Iruka's voice rings out in the classroom. Looks up instead, and finds a sight that makes her breath go ragged and her eyes _burn_. She knows why she didn't dare let her eyes roam across the room when she first entered.

Naruto is sitting there, half-turned in his seat, looking right at home in his bright orange jumpsuit and even brighter eyes, and _why didn't her dumb teenage self ever say hi to him earlier_?, waving at her with an excited grin.  
" _S'kura-chaaan_!" He whispers, very indiscreetly, and she has to cover a quiet snort with a faintly trembling hand, lest she burst into laughter. Or _tears_ , or maybe even both, because _fuck her_ but Naruto is alive.

And then Sakura takes note of something, and this time when her heart suddenly _hurts_ , she doesn't want to know if it's fear or happiness or just plain up _anger_ she feels when her bottle green eyes are ensnared in narrowed obsidian across the room. He looks young, is her first thought.

And it's true; Sasuke is sitting there, head barely inclined over the high collar of his blue shirt to meet her eyes from his seat, right next to a loudly whooping Naruto, his eyes clearly portraying his _displeasure_ and speaking _volumes_.

 _Right_ , her young self's _extreme_ , and _shallow_ , infatuation with the revenge-crazed boy.

'I will not give you the pleasure of hearing me verbally convey my dissatisfaction, so I shall glare at you icily instead.' Is what his cold eyes seem to yell silently at her before he turns his head back, facing forward, obliviously unaware of Sakura's inner turmoil.

Sakura curses at her automatic translation of Uchiha. She also ponders on how to spell out 'I want to knock your _teeth_ out with my _fists_.', but stops when her brain comes up with way, way too many options.

 _Well then_ , Sakura mutters unhappily, grimly, to herself when her heart has stopped kicking against her ribcage and making her chest ache.

'Isn't this just going to be a fun emotional roller-coaster.'

Naruto, who miraculously is still sprawled in his seat, if somewhat haphazardly, smiles at her _again_. A second time around , and this time Sakura manages a smile back, _wobbly_ and undeniably happy in equal fervor, but the _bright_ grin she gets in return burns fiercer in Sakura's heart than a thousand suns, and it takes root _smack-dab_ in her chest, fills her with something dangerously close to real _hope_. Sakura's been afraid of hope for a long, _long_ time; perhaps, this time, a second chance at a better life and every little, _crazy_ thing it entails, is all the push she needs.

..

Just like last time, team by team the other greenhorn genin file out with their new teachers, leaving the reformed (unstable) Team Seven to wait, and if Sakura had even an ounce less self control she would have shut up Naruto with her _own_ hands because she loves the idiot but he is _loud_.

Obnoxiously so. Sasuke definitely thinks so, too, if the minute twitches of his right eye every time Naruto's voice rises in volume are any indication. When Sakura realizes that she's just about had it, Sakura decides to put one of her many, and first, plans into motion. Rocky and unstable as they are, she _needs_ her team. And she knows they need her just as much, though they themselves haven't yet realized it.

So, inwardly bracing herself for the wrath of an arrogant Uchiha, Sakura turns and locks eyes with Sasuke, and says happily, "Let's get along then, Sasuke, ne?"

One corner of her smile twitches ever so slightly when Sasuke takes one slow blink at her, before letting out a ' _hn_ ' and turning his head the other way. _Well_ , then. She'll just have to make him come to her.

Naruto has stopped trying to insult Sasuke's skills as a ninja, at least, and is now staring at her as if she's grown two new heads. Sakura bites back a grin, and, holding up one hand, she begins rattling out everything she knows about her poor, _poor_ unsuspecting sensei, beginning with, "Get over your petty arrogance, Uchiha, and _listen_. Our sensei is Kakashi Hatake, one of the Elite ninja of Konoha, and one the youngest to become Jounin currently.. on record.." Sakura tapers off halfway when she realizes Sasuke is now blatantly staring at her, eyebrows somewhat touching his hairline as he listens _intently_. Naruto is listening too, if less focused, eyes glittering faintly in awe. Sakura'll take what she can get.

"Ma, looks like you know quite a lot, then, miss Sakura Haruno." A voice drawls from the open doorway behind them, and Sakura doesn't even have to try holding back a jump as she whips her head around, because _damn it_ she forgets how sneaky her sensei is when he wants to be. She does deliberately throw in a quiet squeal of surprise, though, to be on the safe side.

It's quite difficult to hold back her tears this time too, and Sakura realizes with a slight inward grimace that this most likely _will_ become a regular occurence when meeting previously dead friends. Her burning eyes soften by a margin whether she wants them to or not, when she spots the _horrid_ excuse of erotic literature in Kakashi's gloved hand, book resting just at the edge of his mask so a thoughtful eye can peek right down at her.

Naruto is gaping, before he throws his finger up straight at Kakashi and yells, " _Ah_ , where'd you come from!?"

Sasuke rolls his eyes, muttering 'dobe' under his breath, and Sakura really, _really_ has to bite back a crazed, fond and stupid laugh at her stupid team and her even _dumber_ boys. Kakashi's lazy eye curves up in a smile, Naruto grumbles at Sasuke who spares no one any mind, and suddenly it dawns on Sakura that they're going to be  _just_ as unbearable this time around.

'Guess this means Team Seven is officially _reformed_.'

..

Sakura notices so much more the second time, twenty-nine and scarred, than when she was twelve with too big a mouth and insecure eyes.

When she shows up later than even their teacher the next morning, with Naruto loudly exclaiming, "Sakura-chan! Your _hair's_ gone!", she _sees_ the way Kakashi's eye saddens, and knows he isn't seeing her.

He sees a ghost, and Sakura feels the familiar ache of grief bloom in her heart, because she knows where he disappears every day, praying in front of names carved into polished stone, haunted by his memory of the no-longer living.

When practice ends, Sakura relents and says yes when Naruto asks her to go have ramen. She manages to convince Sasuke to come too, to the blond's disappointment, and though suspicious of her _sudden_ one-eighty in attitude Sasuke doesn't walk away.

She tries to convince Kakashi to join them, and when she extends the invitation Sakura doesn't see Kakashi Of the Sharingan, doesn't see the laidback jounin he pretends to be, but a teenager, _awkward_ and afraid, posture guarded. So when she promptly grabs his arm and drags him along to catch up to her boys, Kakashi never once tries to escape the grasp.

'Stupid, adorable boys', she thinks when Naruto is gulping down his second bowl and accidentally chokes on a noodle, and pretends the sudden sting of tears is just because the ramen is too hot on her tongue.

..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! :D  
> I apologize, many times over, for the wait!  
> Finally the chapter is out, and I'm already planning the next.
> 
> Hope you enjoy! <3


	3. update

Hi. For those of you who've stuck around, thanks for being so patient.  
Right now in my life, I'm going through an emotional crisis, something that has damaged me more than anything I've ever had to deal with.  
Some days it can literally take me three hours before I manage to get out of bed, so for those of you who have gone through similar things, I'm sure you can relate to the feeling. :3

 

So, I'm trying to focus on getting my grades back up, and I can't bring myself to work on the story at all, and I'm sorry.

I'll be back soon!

Thank you for reading this far! :D

-N

 

_**Update 27/10-18**_  
* * *  
While there most likely won't be any new chapters up anytime soon, there may be a few pieces added to my "inordinate collection of naruto drabbles" series, as short and weird as they will be. :3

* *  
My first language is actually not English, but Swedish. With that being said, while my English is somewhat advanced for my age (fifteen), it's definitely not perfect at all times. So, the "drabble" series won't be containing any multi-chapter stories in the future - unless stated otherwise :3 - but will be more like a way for me to improve both my grammar, and my ability to put sentences together in the way best suited for the chosen genre.

I'm rambling xD

_**xo** _

<3


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